At least there was a benign expression on Morten Olsen’s face when the Denmark
coach left his post-match press conference with what looks, on paper, like a
brutal put-down. “Good luck in the World Cup,” he said. “You need it.”

It should be taken in the spirit it was intended, but it should also be taken
with a degree of seriousness. A well-earned England victory had several
uplifting elements — notably the contributions of Daniel Sturridge, who
scored the only goal, Raheem Sterling and perhaps above all Adam Lallana —
but, as the names of those inexperienced players suggest, this team is